Lemon Blueberry Swirl Cheesecake

You’ve probably had lemon cheesecake before, but have you ever had a lemon blueberry swirl cheesecake? That’s right – vibrant lemon and sweet blueberry swirls… all in one creamy slice! This recipe is a game changer.

If you’ve been following my blog since the beginning, you probably already know my love for blueberries knows no seasons. They are, without a doubt, my favorite fruit! In the Summer I easily eat 5 pounds a week. And when I find them on sale – in the middle of WINTER – I buy in bulk, baby. Last week I hit the jack pot, finding fresh, organic blueberries for just 2 bucks a carton. I have to confess, I cleaned them OUT. So many blueberries = so much happy!

After inhaling a few cartons by the handful, I got to business, baking you some fabulous new recipes. Last week it was these Greek Yogurt Lemon Blueberry Scones, and today? Lemon Blueberry Swirl Cheesecake!!!

Each bite is heaven. Pure heaven. Just look how supremely creamy it is!!! And that swirl. ♥

YES.

This better-than-the-bakery lemon blueberry cheesecake is made up of 3 parts: the graham cracker crust, the lemon cheesecake filling, and the blueberry swirl sauce. If making a cheesecake from scratch seems intimidating, fret not my friend– I’m going to walk you through each step.

Making the graham cracker crust is the first step in this recipe and it’s an extremely easy one. Ingredient wise you’re going to need graham crackers, melted butter, sugar, and a pinch of salt – that’s it! You will need to pulse the graham crackers into crumbs, or – if you want to make things even easier – you can buy already crushed graham cracker crumbs at the store. I typically find them in the baking aisle, somewhere near the pie fillings. To assemble the crust you’ll combine the cracker crumbs, sugar, and salt, then fold in the melted butter and stir until it’s well combined. You want all of the crumbs to be moist from the butter. Then you’re going to dump the crumb mixture into a lightly greased 9″ springform pan and press it down firmly, working from the center and slightly up the edges.

For the cheesecake filling you’re going to need cream cheese, sour cream, eggs, egg yolks, sugar, vanilla extract, fresh lemon juice, lemon zest, and a spot of flour. AFew important things! Your cream cheese MUST be verrrrry soft before beginning. I typically leave my blocks of cream cheese out on the counter for at least two hours before I plan on baking. It’s also important to have your eggs, egg yolks, and sour cream at room temperature.

This recipe calls for a water bath.

If you’re unfamiliar with the water bath process, read on! A water bath is, simply, the term bakers use when they place a baking pan (in this case, our cheesecake pan) into a larger pan that’s been filled with hot water. Taking this extra step helps insulate the pan from direct heat on all sides while it bakes. The water bath method helps your cheesecake bake gently, ensuring the finished product doesn’t burn, curdle, or crack. It also helps the cheesecake maintain its silky smooth texture. When it comes to choosing a pan for your water bath, choose one that is as tall as the cheesecake pan and large enough to leave a few inches between the cheesecake pan and the outer rim – you want enough room for the water to circulate easily. When you’re ready to make your water bath, here’s what you do: Adjust an oven rack to the middle position. Preheat oven to called for temperature. When the oven is preheated, carefully (using an oven mitt) pull out the middle rack and place your large pan on it, fill the pan half way with hot water, then place the filled cheesecake pan in the center of the water bath. Slowly slide the rack back to its full inserted position, close the door, and bake the cheesecake according to instructions. If you’re using a spring form pan it’s essential to wrap the pan in heavy-duty tin foil to avoid water seeping in. I wrap my pan from every possible angle pressing the foil in and around to prevent a soggy crust. I use my large skillet as a water bath and it works great. Visual below in case you need it.

The blueberry swirl sauce is probably the easiest part of this entire recipe. You will need a small food processor or blender to blend the the blueberries smooth. Then you’ll press this mixture through a fine mesh strainer, getting rid of the seeds and pulp. Add in a little sugar, and you’re all done. To swirl, you’ll dollop the blueberry mixture on top of the unbaked cheesecake batter by the spoonful, then use a skewers to swirl. I don’t recommend swirling to much, or the end result will look messy.

Keep in mind this cheesecake needs to chill for at least 6 hours before being sliced and serve.

So are you ready for a slice of this cheesecake, or what?

If you try this recipe, let me know! Leave a comment below and don’t forget to snap a pic and tag it #bakerbynature on Instagram! Seeing your kitchen creations makes my day. ♥

Lemon Blueberry Swirl Cheesecake

Sweet and supremely creamy, this easy-to-make Lemon blueberry swirl cheesecake is the perfect addition to any dessert table!

Ingredients

For the Crust:

2 cups Graham Crackers, pulsed into crumbs

1/3 cup Granulated Sugar

1/4 teaspoon Kosher Salt

6 tablespoons Unsalted Butter, melted

For the Lemon Cheesecake Filling:

3 (8 ounce) packages Full-Fat Cream Cheese, very soft

1 cup Full-Fat Sour Cream, at room temperature

1 1/4 cups Granulated Sugar

2 teaspoons Pure Vanilla Extract

3 large Eggs + 2 Egg Yolks, at room temperature

2 tablespoons All-purpose Flour

3/4 cup Fresh Lemon Juice

2 teaspoons Fresh Lemon Zest

For the blueberry swirl:

3/4 cup fresh or frozen blueberries

3 tablespoons granulated sugar

Instructions

Preheat oven to 325 degrees (F).

For the Crust:

In the body of a blender or food processor, combine graham crackers, sugar, and salt; pulse until the crackers have been completely transformed into fine crumbs. Add melted butter; stir well to combine. Press down into a lightly greased 9-inch springform pan; set aside.

For the Lemon Cheesecake Filling:

In the body of a high power blender, food processor, stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, or in a large bowl using a hand held mixer, beat the softened cream cheese and sour cream until smooth. Add sugar and vanilla; beat until smooth, scraping down the sides and bottom of bowl as needed. Add in the eggs and yolks; beat until smooth. Stir in the flour, mixing just until combined.

Quickly stir in the lemon juice and zest, mixing just until it's incorporated in the batter.

Pour filling into prepared crust, and spread the top smooth. Add blueberry swirl. Wrap the bottom of the pan in tin foil (I highly recommend doing several diligent layers here; no one wants a wet/soggy crust).

Place the cheesecake pan into another large pan (it should be wide enough to comfortably fit the springform pan holding the cheesecake and deep enough to hold a few inches of water without risk of a spill) . Fill the pan up with very hot water; it should rise half way along the cheesecake pan. This is your water bath and will help ensure your cheesecake comes out crack free. Be sure to pour the water in slowly, as you don't want any of it to splash up and get into the actual cheesecake!

Place pan into the preheated oven and bake for 1 hour and 20 minutes. Turn the oven off and let the cheesecake sit, undisturbed, for 45 minutes inside the oven, with the door shut. The cheesecake should be still slightly wiggly.

Remove the cheesecake from the oven, run a knife very gently around the edge of the cake, and let it sit in the pan for another 15 minutes before covering loosely with plastic wrap and refrigerating for at least 6 hours.

For the blueberry swirl:

In a small food processor or blender, puree the blueberries until completely smooth. Press the mixture through a fine mesh strainer, discarding seeds and pulp. Stir in the granulated sugar. Spoon the blueberry mixture on top of the unbaked cheesecake, a few dollops at a time. Use a skewer to swirl the mixture as much or as little as you'd like. Bake cheesecake as directed above.

Notes

*It is very important to bring your ingredients to room temperature when baking cheesecake - especially the cream cheese. I recommend sitting the blocks of cream cheese out on the counter for at least 2 hours prior to baking. *Full-Fat cream cheese and sour cream is what was used for this recipe and what I find yields the best results. Using reduced-fat or non-fat versions will alter the taste and texture of this recipe. *Meyer lemons may be used in place of regular lemons (In fact, that is what I used the final time testing this recipe). *Cheesecake (without any whipped cream on top) may be sliced and frozen for up to one month. *If you have any questions about the water bath prior to baking, please feel free to ask and I will walk you through it. *Table salt may be used in place of kosher salt.

Nutrition Facts

Serving Size1 slice of cheesecake

Amount Per Serving

% Daily Value

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.

HI! I found your blog through Pinterest! I just tried your recipe only I used blackberries because I already had them on hand. It’s in the oven currently but I’ll send a pic when I’m ready to serve it tonight!!

I tried the recipe with 1/3 fat cream cheese and reduced fat sour cream. Sadly the center didn’t cook all the way and the only part of my cake that had that cheese cake texture was about 2 inches from the crust in. Do you think it did that because of the reduced fat and 1/3 fat or something else maybe? It did look beautiful coming out of the oven though! Friends we drooling over it until I tried cutting into it.:/

I had to try this mostly out of curiosity. I make cheesecakes as a profession and I’ve never made one without baking the crumb crust first. I don’t know how yours turned out but the crust was a mushy wet mess. The filling was good but the blueberry swirl needed some tweaking.

Mine turned out to be a mushy mess too 🙁 Very disappointed after going to a berry farm yesterday to pick berries and then spending so much time making this recipe. Next time I’ll try a different recipe that doesn’t involve a water bath.

Hi Rae. I’m sorry you had issues with this recipe. I know how frustrating that can be! Did you let the cheesecake cook in the oven and then cool for 6 hours in the fridge? Also, what was a mushy mess? The whole cheesecake? Or the crust?

Do you think subbing cornstarch for the flour would work? If so, how much would you use? (Glutten intolerant chick here.) I know where to find glutten free graham crackers, so just trying to think of a way to alter the filling. Thanks for any help you can give!

This cheesecake has great texture; very light and creamy. The swirl looked cool, too. I over swirled and and it gave the top of the cake a neat marbled look. I was disappointed in the water bath, though: Four layers of tinfoil and the water still seeped through and the top still cracked. Thank goodness the swirled blueberries disguised the cracks.

Try putting the pan of hot water on the rack under the cheese cake. And not put the cake in the pan of water. I do my cheese cakes that way and it works just as well without water getting into my crust.

So my grandmother taught me what I know. Im the type that just goes for it and my friends and family eat it. so far ive never had a NO. But with a family reunion in a week and a few days away my grandmother left me in charge of desserts. I came to the thought of a lemon blueberry cheese cake. light fluffy yummy what more could you ask for???? I cant wait to make this next Friday ( yea I get to spend my 29th birthday baking which Im actually excited for) I wanted to say thank you for this. I could not throw this one together for people I do not know. Fingers crossed it goes well and I will let you know how it goes!!!

Given that it cooks only at 325 and for an hour and 20 minutes and it cools in the hot oven for 45 minutes and it cools for hours after that, how much room for error is there based on variations of oven heat distribution and cooling? Mine looked a little more than jelly jiggly. I might have let it cook another 4’ish minutes before shutting off the oven. I’ll see how it turns out. but good lord, the badder tasted so good!

I made this last night and put it into the fridge this morning to chill. Arguably the best lemon blueberry cheesecake I have ever eaten. The tartness of the lemon with the blueberries really bring out the best in the dish. I used blueberries in a tin with syrup and left some of the blueberries whole which added to the fresh taste . Simply delicious .

SO GREAT! First time making a cheesecake, followed the instructions very carefully, and it was amazing flavour and a hit with guests. The water did get through 4 layers of foil, but my pan luckily appears to be watertight and the crust was excellent. I felt like a pro serving this up! Definitely going into my recipe box.

Hi! Thank you for the recipe! New baker here. The filling tastes great but only about two inches in from the crust firm up. Made it twice now in the last week and the same thing happened both times. The two cakes look identical. Is it possible I need to bake it longer to get the middle to firm up?

Hi John! Sounds like you may need to bake it a little longer. I would recommend adding 20 minutes. Also, are you letting the cheesecake sit in the oven and then cool completely before serving? It firms up a lot as it chills.

Hi I just finished making this cheesecake and it looks fantastic. Only thing is it is very jiggly. When I ran the knife around the edge of the pan it seemed to be still very wet . Would it be advisable to put it back in the oven for some more time? I read some comments that stated it would firm up once it was refrigerated. I’m just not sure its done. I think I will put it back in for about 20 minutes and let it sit for the 45 minutes again, then chill in fridge. Hope it comes out alright.

My crust came out soggy too. I’m curious why it’s not baked first and then the filling is added. Also, if I were to make it again, I’d back off on the lemon juice from 3/4 cup to 1/2 cup as it seemed to be dominated by the tartness of the lemon. I would also increase the blueberries from 3/4 cup to one cup as a carton is typically one cup and the blueberry swirls were not evident. Finally, there’s a discrepancy in the cooking time. Up top in the summary is says 1 hour, 30 minutes, but the body of the instructions says 1 hour 20 minutes.

I read all the comments and didn’t see this. you put1 1/4 cups of sugar and 2teaspoons of vanilla in the ingredients list,yet no where in the instructions do you add them in to the recipe? The cake was a little soft when done. I haven’t checked this morning to see if it has firmed up, the taste was good though. Also in the instructions # 10 doesn’t actually tell you to remove the ring from the cake, this might confuse some first time cheesecake bakers.

Hi Lucius. This step is important as is helps the cheesecake cool slowly (which prevents cracks). I would suggest doing the oven step for at least 10 minutes, then cooling the cheesecake completely (in the spring form pan).

I’ve got this recipe currently in the oven, but it was a bit confusing at times. The instructions for the blueberry portion weren’t in chronological order, so I had to go hunting around for them. Also, the blueberries in the photo look to be a lot “chunkier” than what the instructions described. Hoping it turns out! It looks delicious!

I attempted to make is cheesecake yesterday. The batter was delish and everything seemed perfect. It did come out of the oven very giggly, but thought it would firm up in the cooling process. Unfortunately it did not. Thaw middle was still very much uncooked. I think next time I would leave in oven for maybe an additional ten to twenty minutes? Maybe even preheat the oven with the water bath? it was a fun recipe and I am sure will be delicious once its cooked

Hi Rose! So sorry to hear your cheesecake never firmed up. I always find the 6 hours in the fridge sets all jiggle, but your oven may run a little low, meaning it needs a bit longer to bake. I would suggest adding 20 minutes to the bake time, and maybe adding an extra two hours to the chill time. I hope that helps 🙂

Hi! I want to use your recipe without the blueberry swirl sauce because we don’t have fresh blueberries in our country. We only have canned pie filling/topping. What adjustments do I have to make (baking time, ingredients measurement, etc) if I’m only going to make plain cheesecake using your recipe and just use the canned blueberry as a topping? A quick response is much appreciated as I’m going yo make this for my boyfriend’s birthday. Thanks!

Hi Richelle. I haven’t tried this recipe with canned blueberry topping so I’m unsure what adjustments would need to be made to make it work. You may need to add additional baking time – I would start with 15 minutes and see how it looks.

The texture of the cheesecake was perfect! I did do some tweaking to the recipe and it still came out really good! i up the lemon juice by adding one more lemon to the 3/4 c and adding more lemon zest (4 lemons total) and 2 drops of lemon oil (for extra tartness). Also reduce the amount of sugar by a tablespoon in the blueberry sauce so it’s not too sweet and also added about 2 teaspoon of cinnamon in the crust. The outcome was DELICIOUS! However, I wouln’td trust the one hour and 20 min in the oven. Every oven is different, I did it just that and it overbakedso you have to know and gage your oven. Keeping an eye on it after an hour and ten minutes. it will still jiggle, but i think the key is leaving it in for the extra 40-45 min and not opening the oven at all. I also let my sit for 12 hours before serving and folks really enjoyed it!

another trick to keep the wetness out is wrapping the bottom of the springform pan in foil to avoid any water from seeping into the pan. Sample shown here: https://www.afamilyfeast.com/how-to-bake-using-a-water-bath/ Or you can put the springform pan in a cake pan and then the cake pan in the water bath.

BEAUTIFUL cheesecake.
I followed the exact recipe, not changing anything.
I even left the cheesecake in the fridge for 12 hrs before slicing. When I did slice the cheesecake, the entire center was runny.
What could I have done wrong?

I bake a lot of cheesecakes and wanted to try this recipe. I do have some advice for those who are having trouble. I never use a water bath, too much hassle and you don’t need it. I used reduced fat cream cheese and reduced fat sour cream, and had no issues. I also changed the eggs to just two eggs and two egg whites. It’s very important to bake cheesecakes until they are fully done. You want a slightly jiggly center, but if the center seems very wet and runny still, it needs more baking time. I thought this cheesecake was ok, but it’s wayyyy too much lemon juice. I like very lemon-y desserts but this was too much. I would reduce the lemon juice to 1/2 cup, possible even less. A decent recipe, but needs some tweaks.

DELICIOUS !!!!! I am not a baker or a cook but I had to make a cake for our work Bake Off and I chose this as I love cheesecake – I followed the recipe exactly except I used Digestive biscuits instead of Graham – and I always use gluten free flour – but it was absolutely delicious and my workmates LOVED it – thank you I will definitely be making this again.

Hello…im planning to try out ur recipe soon..however i could not figure out at what step should i remove the cheesecake pan from the water bath?before 45 min in the oven or after or it should remain in water bath until put in the refrigerator?

My eight year old requested this cheesecake for her “birthday cake” and wow, was it no small feat! Haha!! Once I had it in the oven I began reading the reviews and I must say, with all the *fails* I was quite worried that after allllllll the work I put in, I’d end up with a soggy and/or liquid center! :0
THANK GOODNESS it was a success. Oddly, only a portion of my cheesecake was a little “droopier” on the inside…not sure why in the world this would have occurred. Otherwise, I followed the recipe with only slight modifications (cutting the sugar by several tablespoons here and there, subbing Bob’s Red Mill 1:1 GF flour) and it came out beautifully. I didn’t even go super crazy with the foiling and my crust wasn’t soggy a bit (maybe 3 layers?). I think I’d add 10-20 minutes to the cook time next time in hopes of firming up the cheesecake a smidge more. I let it rest in the fridge for a good 18 hours (it was SOOOO difficult!!! haha!) before diving in. All in all , it was a huge hit amongst the entire family. The tartness was perfect (for us) but I didn’t taste much with respect to the blueberries…the swirl was pretty though!! For reference (not sure how much altitude matters), I live in the Pacific Northwest right at sea level (I do realize ovens account for a lot of variance as well, however),
I’ll for sure make this again! Wish I could attach a pic of this beeauty!

Well it’s in the oven as I write this….. I followed the recipe to the letter but I’m a bit concerned how watery the batter was. The blueberry dropped through the batter and disappeared but I managed to get a swirl. Very worried about how thin the batter is…… I’ve made some great cheesecakes and the batter was never this this…… Time will tell…..ool

I would suggest adjusting the order of the instructions, as another commentor mentioned. The instructions for the blueberry swirl are at the bottom, so when i got to the step where I need to add it, I didn’t have it. Also, to put the foil layers on before filling it with batter. (maybe obvious, but I’d adjust that too).

Mine is resting in the oven now. Worried about how thin the batter was. Especially since I only have 4 or so hours to let it chill! At least my pan is 10in. Hopefully that helps!

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Meet Ashley

Hey! I’m Ashley, a creative spirit with a major sweet tooth. Most days you can find me in my happy place: the kitchen. If I’m not there, I’m probably snapping photos of food, planning a party… or dreaming about my next trip to Paris (AKA my favorite place in the entire world). I’m a story teller, recipe developer, and photographer who firmly believes that a homemade life is a happy life. Learn More.